Meet Myra Angelica Reyes (Angie for short), Accelo’s UI/UX Designer. Angie is based in the City of Las Piñas just south of Metro Manila - home of the Bamboo Organ!
“I’ve been in the design industry for more than seven years now. I started out as a multimedia designer for marketing, and now I am exploring and continuously learning the world of UI/UX design!”
Learn more about why Angie became a designer, what it looks like to be on the Design team in Manila and a sneak peek into the project she’s working on that aims to build a new design system!
I’ve always appreciated simple things that are often overlooked: Restaurant menus with beautiful typography, movie posters with unconventional layouts, wayfinding signages or animated logos.
I was sure that I wanted to do something like that but, fresh out of college, I wasn’t sure how to start! In an effort to gain work experience, I took a job as a content writer at a start-up but I didn’t love it and I knew it wasn’t a natural fit for me.
Eventually, my then manager noticed my interest and eagerness to become a designer. He allowed me to shift and trusted me with projects that enabled me to hone my skills. My design career took off from there and fast forward to today, I am grateful to be able to continue to do the work I love here at Accelo.
Everything around us, in a way, has gone through a design decision. To be involved in the process of creating something, and seeing it solve problems and bring delight to people, is something that keeps my passion for design burning.
A typical workday for me includes a daily Zoom call with the Development team. This usually involves discussing our current project and making sure that we are on track and aware of what our teammates are doing. We also take this time to identify if there are any blockers and determine ways we can help and support each other. We also have once-a-week design syncs and Product Design team meetings - these Zoom calls usually take place in the mornings for me in the Philippines.
Focused work usually happens in the afternoon when I get to deep dive into my Figma files, either creating or iterating on UI component designs. Throughout the day I collaborate with fellow designers and developers to ask for feedback via Figma comments or Slack.
Some days we have our 1:1 check-ins via Zoom where I can talk to my managers and update them about what I’m working on and where I need support. I find this really valuable as it encourages honesty and accountability amongst the team.
I like to keep my desk tidy because it’s easier for me to focus when my area is clean. I try to maintain a minimalist setup with neutral colors such as gray and white and add some natural elements by placing some plants in my space. I keep other essentials such as my headphones, water bottle, pen and note cards within reach.
In my spare time, I enjoy watching anime, browsing memes and playing video games with friends. I love to run during late afternoons/evenings because it helps me stay active when I’ve been sitting for too long. The pandemic has turned me into somewhat of a plant parent and now I love to decorate my space with plants! It gives me a sense of accomplishment whenever I see my indoor plants thriving and sprouting new leaves.
I also love movies and music. Some of my favorite movies are Spirited Away, The Sound of Music, Knives Out and Inception. The music genre I listen to varies a lot but some of my go-to artists are John Mayer, Michael Bublé, PREP and Ben&Ben.
I haven’t had the opportunity to meet the Manila team face-to-face yet, but we have daily stand-ups via Zoom. It is a joy to work with them because they are approachable, helpful and great problem-solvers. Since most of them are developers, I get to learn so much from them about their world.
Something I really admire about the Manila team is their adaptability and willingness to learn. We’ve come to a point in our onboarding with Accelo where we’re all learning new technology and ways of working together. I think it’s amazing to work alongside people who aren’t afraid to try something new.
I’m currently involved in a project that aims to build a new design system for Accelo. I’m one of two designers working on this project, and I help with doing interface audits, designing and documenting individual components and testing them with my fellow designers.
We do most of our work in Figma and get feedback on our designs through the comments left in the file by other designers and developers. Then we keep track of their status using Trello and Jira.
Sometimes we set aside time to do component testing sessions where the Design team gets into a Zoom call and works together in a single Figma file. It’s a quick, collaborative exercise that enables rapid feedback. We look at our insights from these exercises and apply iterations for the next versions.
Building a design system is a huge undertaking and requires constant communication. Despite us being in different locations and time zones, these different tools enable us to have a creative and collaborative environment.
The Design team is looking for a Product Designer who wants to make the Accelo platform easier and simpler for every user!
With a heavy focus on data and research to support their decisions, the team’s goal is to take our products' usability to the next level. Join them and you’ll be a part of building Accelo’s new design system by creating user-driven, modern interfaces focused on simplicity, elegance and ease of use. Apply now!
